Tripura’s Dergang FPO Makes First Mustard Honey Export to Dubai

Tripura has marked a new milestone in its emerging agricultural export sector with the first-ever overseas shipment of mustard honey from the State, as Dergang Farmer Producer Organisation exported one metric tonne of mustard honey to Dubai with facilitation from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

The shipment represents the first export of mustard honey from the region and opens a new international market channel for local beekeepers and farmers associated with the FPO. The initiative is expected to encourage organised production, value addition and export-oriented apiculture while strengthening Tripura’s presence in the global agricultural market.

The export assumes particular significance for farmers because access to international buyers can potentially provide better price realisation than conventional local market channels. By linking beekeepers directly with organised export supply chains, the initiative creates an additional income opportunity while encouraging producers to adopt quality standards required for overseas markets.

Dergang FPO received support from Salt Range Foods Pvt. Ltd., which has been working with the organisation to strengthen bee production and develop a supply chain suitable for export. The collaboration helped the FPO prepare its mustard honey for international shipment and provided local producers with a structured pathway into the export market.

The development also highlights the growing role of Farmer Producer Organisations in aggregating produce from small farmers and connecting them with larger domestic and international buyers. By bringing individual producers together under an organised structure, FPOs can improve volumes, standardise quality and negotiate access to markets that may otherwise remain difficult for smaller farmers to reach independently.

For Tripura, the shipment could provide an important boost to the State’s honey and beekeeping sector. The region’s diverse agricultural landscape offers opportunities for expanding honey production, while organised farmer collectives and greater emphasis on value addition could help transform apiculture into a more commercially significant activity.

The mustard honey shipment also demonstrates the potential for agricultural diversification in the North Eastern Region, where specialty products can command greater value when supported by proper processing, packaging, quality certification and export linkages.

The consignment was flagged off by Tripura Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath, who described the shipment as an important achievement for the State’s beekeepers and farmers. He said the export showed that locally produced agricultural products from Tripura could reach international markets and generate improved income opportunities for farming communities.

The Minister also reiterated the State government’s commitment to strengthening apiculture and organic agriculture while supporting Farmer Producer Organisations in accessing wider markets. He said closer coordination among farmers, FPOs, exporters and institutions such as APEDA could help Tripura expand its international presence in quality agricultural and organic products.

The flag-off ceremony was attended by Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Government of Tripura, Apurba Roy, Executive Director of IFOAM Organics Asia Jennifer Chang, senior APEDA officials, representatives of the exporter and logistics partners, along with progressive beekeepers from the region.

The initiative forms part of APEDA’s broader efforts to promote agricultural exports from the North Eastern Region. The organisation works with State governments, FPOs, exporters, processors and other stakeholders to provide market linkages, capacity building, quality assurance and export facilitation.

Such interventions are intended to help farmers move beyond local markets and participate in higher-value national and international supply chains. They can also encourage improved production practices, better traceability and greater emphasis on product quality, all of which are increasingly important in competitive export markets.

The export of one metric tonne of mustard honey may be modest in volume, but its significance lies in establishing a new market connection for Tripura’s beekeepers. If sustained and scaled, such shipments could help create a stronger honey value chain in the State while encouraging more FPOs across the North East to explore opportunities in value-added agricultural exports.

For Dergang FPO, the shipment to Dubai marks its first step into the international market and provides a model of how organised farmer groups, private-sector partners and government export agencies can work together to connect local agricultural products with global consumers.

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Source: PIB: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2297240&reg=48&lang=1

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